Beginnings
by AliceofGaming
Summary: Based on the Yogscast: Shadow of Israphel story. The beginnings of Israphel and the attack on Minecraftia.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Before I start, I'd like to go ahead and get it out of the way that this is my first time writing anything of this sort. This said, it probably sucks. I know. This is also sort of a fanfic about a fanfic. Major props to the guys from the Yogscast for inspiring me to do this. Go check them out. ^^ Anywho, I do hope to get better as this goes on, and any critism would be quite welcome. Enjoy!

The Beginning

I waited quietly in the shadows cast by the thick forest canopy. It was just an hour or two past midnight, I assumed . It was hard to find the moon through the entangled branches. A few spiders hissed nearby, but never came close. The same went for the rest of the night creatures in this forest. I was one of them, as far as they were concerned. The same evil ran through my veins that went through theirs. The same rush of power, albeit more controlled.

I was waiting for the child to arrive. The heir to the Sand's powers. I was told that he had been born a year ago. We'd watched him carefully. Now it was time for him to be brought to me so that he could become home to the dark spirits of the Sands. Our original master, Lehparsi, had been sealed away by a man by the name of Verigan. He hungered for a new body, and had found this boy fit. I didn't much care for Lehparsi. I had every intention of using this boy's powers for my own ends, likely killing him after he was no longer needed. I kept along with the charade to please the other members of our cult, as well as prevent Lehparsi from pouring out his wrath against me.

After another hour, I hear a faint cry, the child's cry. It was obviously frightened by the men taking him away from it's home at this hour. The three members of the Cult emerged from the shadows, and I pulled away from my own patch of blackness. The one nearest to me handed me the carefully bundled package, then the trio melted back into the forest.

I looked down at the child. It wasn't a tough determined face I saw, though I wasn't sure what degree of that I would actually find in such a young face. It was just so much more...Fragile looking than I'd expected. The eyes were a very pale blue, and hair a lighter shade of brown. The skin was pale as well. I sighed. I supposed that Lehparsi had some reason as to why he chose the kid. I did see a hint of resistance in those pale, weak eyes.

I faded back into my own shadows and headed back towards Terrorvale. What exactly would I tell the villagers?

"I guess I could tell them he was abandoned," I whispered to myself. It wouldn't seem too strange for me to take in the child.

The next morning, I introduced him to the village. They didn't seem to find anything strange about the instance. They only smiled and make the stupid noises that people always seem to have to make when around small children.

"So what's his name?" one of them asked.

"Israphel." I replied with a small grin. Minecraftia would be mine soon enough.


	2. Friendship?

A/N: You know, I was thinking about not continuing this for a while, but since you guys like it, I think I will. This one will be from Israphel's perspective. Forgive me if there's some stuff in this fic, especially later on, you don't really see as cannon, but no matter how hard I try I can't get this stuff outta my head, so since it isn't too far off, I'm going to write it.

Father was in the crypt again.

I didn't know what he did down there, but I wasn't about to go find out. It was creepy down there, because they kept dead people in boxes down there. That's what the other children told me. Even if there weren't dead people there, it looked dark.

I had been told to go play with the other children in the nearby field. They were all running about and laughing. The other boys were playing with wooden swords they'd just crafted, pretending to slay zombies and creepers. Dad had given me my sword and sent me on my way before disappearing back underground, but I didn't join the others. I don't know why, but I never really felt like playing the games they enjoyed. I usually just sat under a small birch tree and read, or watched them, like I was doing now.

"Hi," a chipper voice sounded, pulling me away from my picture book. I looked up to see a girl about my age with long brown hair, wearing a green dress looking down at me. "I'm Maria. I'm seven years old!" she announced with a smile, then frowned. "Why won't you play with us?"

" I, um," I stuttered. I didn't talk to other people much. "I don't know."

"Come on!" She grabbed one hand to pull me away from the tree, and shoved a bow into the other. "Play with us!" I relunctantly followed her to where some other kids were gathered at the edge of the field, where it met the forest.

They were taking turns shooting arrows at the trees. Not real arrows, we weren't allowed to use them until we were older, but ones with wooden heads. Chalk was put on the dull tips, so that we could see where we had hit. Maria gave me a handfull of arrows and showed me how to shoot.

I like this new game, I thought, Maybe Father can show me how to craft a bow!

We played until our parents started to come get us for dinner. Before Maria left, she asked me, " What's your name?"

"Israphel," I replied, realizing that I hadn't introduced myself earlier.

"Iz...Isref...Israaphle?" She tried to pronounce the strange name. I didn't blame her for having trouble. It was weirder than all the other children's names. "I'll just call you Izzy!" she decided. I nodded, and then she smiled and ran to catch up with her mother.

I continued shooting the trees, getting better with every shot. I drew a target on the trunk of one tree, and had gotten close to hitting the middle when Father came to get me. He watched me, and I felt nervous, but I kept going until I finally hit the center.

"Where did you learn that, son?" he asked.

"Somebody showed me." I said. I didn't know why, but Dad always acted funny when I learned something new. Sometimes I'd see him writing stuff in a blank book.

"Ah, so you've finally made a new friend, I see." he chuckled. He started back home and motioned for me to follow.

I guess I have made a friend, I thought, remembering the girl, and smiled. 


	3. Then It Ended

A/N: I think I'm going to change the title of this fic to just "Israphel." It gives me room to move into what was going on from Israphel's POV during the series. Anywho, R&R. You know the drill. ;)

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

"Happy Birthday, Izzy!"

I looked up from my book to see Maria and a few other people I knew smiling and waving as they came into the field. Maria was carrying a basket in one hand, and a wrapped box in the other. She came over to where I was sitting and laughed.

"It's been almost three years since we first met, and I still have to pull you away from your tree," She giggled. Instead of pulling me off to play, she and the others sat down around me, and she gently tugged the book I was reading out of my hands.

"Maria's mom helped her bake a birthday cake." Joseph said. He was the oldest out of all my friends, eleven years old. He was tall and had short blonde hair. His little brother, Jacob, was only a couple of years younger, and looked like he could be his identical twin, especially sitting right next to him now.

Maria took a cake and paper plates out of the basket she was carrying. A couple other people helped her put the ten candles into the cake, and Joseph lit them.

"Make a wish!" Maria said.

What _did_ I want to wish for? I already had more than

I'd bargained for with Maria. She'd introduced me to other friends, and allways made sure to pull me away from my tree every day. I wasn't sure why I still sat away from everyone until she came to get me, but I always did. I thought about Dad, and how he always seemed so unhappy, and decided that a happy father might just make everything right with the world. I blew out the candles.

We finished up the cake, and someone handed me a wrapped box. I opened it to find a new bow and ten _real_ arrows. Hunting arrows! I finally realized, I was ten! I was old enough to hunt and use real arrows! I could go into the woods with the older boys.

My life was going pretty well. Maria dragged me away from my tree. Joseph taught me how to hunt. Father still frowned a lot, but I still had friends. I know that it sounds corny, but my life became a good deal better the day Maria practcally dragged me away from my tree for the first time. I was finally happy.

If only it had stayed that way.

"Are we ready sir?"

"Yes, Lysander. Gather the members. It's time for Lehparsi's reign to end. It's our turn."

"Are you sure about this, John?"

"I did not let you join us just to question my decisions. Follow me or die with the rest."

"But, sir, do we really have to kill the boy?"

"You have your orders. When I give the word, let out the creepers."

A/N: Admittedly, not much happened here, but this is all I could think of to transition from happy childhood to when all the bad stuff happens. From here on out it should get a bit better.


	4. The Beginning of The End

A/N: This is the last chapter. Hope you enjoy.

He was finally old enough to hunt in the woods alone! Of course, he wouldn't actually be going alone. He was taking Maria with him of course. She liked archery herself, and wanted to come along with him. They headed into the forest laughing, unaware of the horror that awaited.

I sighed heavily. Lysander had refused to do the job, backing out at the last second. Them man had been loyal up to then, however, so I just stole his memories and sent him on his way rather than killing him. The five green beasts followed behind me, ready.

They came into sight, and I motioned for the creepers to attack. As the two teenagers spotted them, they readied their bows and fired at them. Several arrows hit, but they were too outnumbered. They killed two of the creepers, before a third blew up, knocking them back. Israphel shouted at Maria to run, shooting at the next two. She hesitated for a moment, but when he again told her to go, she retreated into the surrounding trees, firing her last three arrows. He had just gotten the fourth one, when the fith exploded not a foot away, singing his clothes and flinging him into a tree.

I looked at the limp form at the base of the tree. He wasn't breathing. The girl frantically emerged from the place she had fled to, her eyes wide. She ran to Israphel's side, tears forming. She quickly looked around, scanning the woods to make sure no more of the creatures were around. As her eyes brushed over the leaves and bushes, they met mine. She looked me over in confusion, her eyes resting on my sword for a moment. I knew she really hadn't trusted me to begin with, so it was no surprise when she grabbed the last of the boy's arrows, and broke into a panicked run away from me, the village, everything, deeper into the forest.

She was never seen again.

Confusion. Pain. Where was I? What was happening?

Maria.

Where was she? Was she safe? Oh dear Notch, I hoped she was okay.

Amongst the blur, I saw my father's face. Overjoyed, powerthirsty. I knew it. There had been rumors, but I never listened to those bullies. But they were true! I wanted to get free, run away. But I was trapped.

I wanted to scream. No! Please, no! Don't do his to me!

But there was no hope left. Soon Israphel was no more. Just the twisted, shell shaped and controlled by a madman. Many more would be decieved. Many more lost. The name Israphel would be feared, spoken in distaste. Hated. The innocent boy no longer existed. Even if a small part remained, it was forced into the very corner of the new monster's half controlled mind.

And this was only the beginning of his nightmare. 


End file.
